A number of power tools have been produced to facilitate forming a workpiece into a desired shape. One such power tool is a table saw. A wide range of table saws are available for a variety of uses. Some table saws such a cabinet table saws are very heavy and relatively immobile. Other table saws, sometimes referred to as jobsite table saws, are relatively light. Jobsite table saws are thus portable so that a worker can position the table saw at a job site. Some accuracy is typically sacrificed in making a table saw sufficiently light to be mobile. The convenience of locating a table saw at a job site, however, makes jobsite table saws very desirable in applications such as general construction projects.
All table saws, including cabinet table saws and jobsite table saws, present a safety concern because the saw blade of the table saw is typically very sharp and moving at a high rate of speed. Accordingly, severe injury such as severed digits and deep lacerations can occur almost instantaneously. A number of different safety systems have been developed for table saws in response to the dangers inherent in an exposed blade moving at high speed. One such safety system is a blade guard. Blade guards movably enclose the saw blade, thereby providing a physical barrier that must be moved before the rotating blade is exposed. While blade guards are effective to prevent some injuries, the blade guards can be removed by a user either for convenience of using the table saw or because the blade guard is not compatible for use with a particular shaping device. By way of example, a blade guard is typically not compatible with a dado blade and must typically be removed when performing non-through cuts.
Table saw safety systems have also been developed which are intended to brake the blade when a user's hand approaches or touches the blade. Various braking devices have been developed including braking devices which are physically inserted into the teeth of the blade. Upon actuation of this type of braking device, however, the blade is typically ruined because of the braking member. Additionally, the braking member is typically destroyed. Accordingly, each time the safety device is actuated significant resources must be expended to replace the blade and the braking member. Another shortcoming of this type of safety device is that the shaping device must be toothed. Moreover, if a spare blade and braking member are not on hand, a user must travel to a store to obtain replacements. Thus, this type of safety system can be expensive and inconvenient.
Another type of table saw uses a safety control system which, in response to a sensed unsafe condition, moves a blade beneath the level of the table. One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,286,537 which issued on Oct. 16, 2012. The '537 patent discloses a power tool including a workpiece support surface, a swing arm assembly movable along a swing path between a first swing arm position whereat a portion of a shaping device supported by the swing arm assembly extends above the workpiece support surface and a second swing arm position whereat the portion of the shaping device does not extend above the workpiece support surface, and a latch pin movable between a first position whereat the latch pin is engaged with the swing arm assembly and a second position whereat the latch is not engaged with the swing arm assembly.
In general, the power tool in the '537 patent operates in a known manner until an unsafe condition is sensed by the safety control system. In response to the sensed unsafe condition, the safety control system controls a pressure operated actuator to force the latch pin from the first position to the second position and to force the swing arm assembly away from the first swing arm position and toward the second swing arm position.
The above described devices are very effective. At least some of the sensors for such systems, however, are of necessity positioned at locations whereat the effectiveness of the sensor can be adversely affected by other components of the system.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a power tool with a robust safety system. A safety system which protects against unintentional contact with other components of the device would be further advantageous.